


Sometimes a Great Ocean

by EffieA



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Beaches, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Established Relationship, M/M, On the Run, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 13:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19252249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EffieA/pseuds/EffieA
Summary: Set post-canon. Hux is terrible at relationships, but he's trying.





	Sometimes a Great Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the GingerPilot 2019 Summer Event, Day 2- Ocean

"No." Poe glares over the top of his just refilled but clearly not cold enough drink at Hux, who was being careful to keep a few inches between himself and the filthy countertop. The bartender, apparently sensing the beginnings of a conflict that could escalate, backs away and finds another customer that needs attention. "I said no, Armitage, and I meant it. I need a break."

"Oh, we're using real names in public now?" The whisper is accompanied by a hot burst of anger.

"Come on, no one can hear us over the noise. Besides, how many people know your first name?"

"More than I'd prefer," he says, though his voice has lost most of its bite. "I'm afraid I must insist we go do this errand now."

"You do know we're not on a Star Destroyer, right? You can't lock me up for insubordination whenever I don't do what you want." When it becomes clear that Hux isn't going to budge, the amusement on Dameron's face turns to something more akin to genuine annoyance. "Seriously? We've been on that ship for months. I realize that's normal for you, but it's not for me."

He'd never give Dameron the satisfaction of admitting it, but in truth he mostly does wish their arrangement worked like all Hux's interpersonal interactions did on the _Finalizer_. Hux would give the orders and Poe could hate them, and him, all he wanted, but that wouldn't change anything. Or even vice versa, though he's fairly certain he'd die before admitting _that_. Instead, every day is full of little negotiations, a constant stream of give and take. Both in their professional endeavors and in the part of their life together that's... not work. For Hux, who's never before existed outside of a hierarchy, it's almost torture. What's worse is he's finding he doesn't totally hate it. "I thought flying was what made you happiest?"

"Sure, actual fun flying. In a fighter. Not this dropping stuff off, picking stuff up, bluffing our way through security checkpoint nonsense. I understand we need to do it, that we have to get past this stage, but it gets old and I just want some R&R." Poe takes a gulp of his drink and grimaces. "Look, you don't have to tell me I'm whining. See what I mean about needing some downtime?"

"Do I need to remind you that you suggested this line of work and I acquiesced on the condition that we do it correctly?"

The pilot rolls his eyes, but Hux notes with something that might be relief that the spark of humor is back in his eyes. "No, I'm well aware you want a smuggling _empire_ ," Poe says, draining the rest of his drink. "If I do whatever it is you want to do right now, do you promise we can come back and actually sit down and have a drink?"

"Fine, as long we try to find an establishment with surfaces that are less sticky."

"Deal."

As the other man pays his tab, Hux catches a glimpse of his own reflection in a mirror behind the bar. It still startles him to see his face framed by brown hair, even after almost a year. Dameron insists it looks good and encourages him to forego the styling product and let it fall naturally, but he isn't quite ready to go that far yet. "We going or what?" Dameron's voice jars him out of his thoughts. He nods and leads them out of the bar and down the narrow street toward the edge of the town. Of the worlds he's visited since fleeing Arkanis all those years ago, this is one of the few he'd term tolerable.

"Hey, isn't the ship that way? I know I'm not that drunk." The voice calls out from behind him and he looks back to see that Poe has stopped walking.

"It is, but we're not going to the ship. Do try to keep up."

"Hux-"

The former general stops and turns to his companion with an expression of displeasure that in previous circumstances had proved almost universally effective, but unfortunately never does much to impress Poe. "Pseudonyms or nothing in public, I don't care if it looks like there's no one around. Is it that hard to remember?"

He gets an infuriating smirk in return. "I'll use your fake name when you choose one that's not honoring some dead Imperial tyrant."

Hux huffs with irritation but resumes his trek, not bothering to check if Poe does as well. The buildings get further apart as they go along and the vegetation gets thicker. The area looks slightly different than it had when he'd been here before, but it's mostly just as he recalled.

_"Come with me. We're taking a walk." As always, she's stern but not cruel, though still terrifying in a entirely different way than Commandant Hux._

_"But Grand Admiral Sloane, Father said-"_

_For a moment her eyes are even darker than normal. "Your father is asleep and judging by the amount of that bantha piss they're calling wine he drank, I'd say he's down for the night. Come now, a good officer studies the new environments he finds himself in and-"_

_"Father says that planets in the Unknown Regions are savage and inferior."_

_His heart skips a beat when he realizes he interrupted her, but she only nods. "Yes, of course they are, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from them. Now, the shopkeeper I spoke with said to head this way. I've seen the sorry excuse for beaches on Arkanis so this should be quite an education."_

_"Beaches are educational?"_

_"They can be. Nearly anything can be, Armitage. You never know when you might pick up something that could be of strategic importance later."_

Just as he remembers, there's one last cluster of trees and-

"Whoa! Cliffs! Did you mean to bring us here?"

"Of course," Hux says and adds a glare for good measure. As if he'd take them somewhere like this by accident. "We need to find the path down. It's all rather overgrown."

"Hey buddy, I think it's over here. Be careful, though, it looks slippery." Poe waits with an outstretched hand and Hux, after a moment's hesitation, takes it and they work their way down together. By the time they get to the bottom, the late afternoon sun is hitting the light blue sand in a way that makes it nearly sparkle and just as in his memories, the water appears endless and pristine. The sound of the waves is rhythmic and almost as comforting as the hum of a ship's engine. Blessedly, the stretch of beach is as deserted as it was on that day long ago. Poe's hand is on his shoulder. "Wow, this is- Stars, this is amazing."

It's all a bit too much and he finds himself looking away. "Well, you're always yammering on about missing the sea on Yavin IV, so I just thought-" But before he can finish the pilot's mouth is on his.

 _Thank you, Grand Admiral._ _This probably isn't what you had in mind._ He thinks before his ability to conceive rational thought is carried away like foam on the waves. _But I appreciate the lesson all the same._

**Author's Note:**

> So what problematic cover name did Hux choose for himself? It has to be Wilhuff, right?


End file.
